New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) tries to catch a pass between Houston Texans defensive back Aaron Colvin (22) and linebacker Benardrick McKinney (55) during the first half of an NFL football

New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) tries to catch a pass between Houston Texans defensive back Aaron Colvin (22) and linebacker Benardrick McKinney (55) during the first half of an NFL football

One day after the controversial catch by New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski that wasn't reviewed by the league office as Bill O'Brien opted to not call a timeout, the Texans coach clarified his position on the situation.

O'Brien repeatedly said after the 27-20 loss at Gillette Stadium that, "It's not my job to do that," as far as calling a timeout to allow the officials time to initiate a replay review during the final two minutes. Coaches aren't allowed to throw the red flag during the final two minutes of the half.

On Monday, O'Brien said he's aware that he can call a timeout. He just was adamant, based on what he heard from the coaches' booth at the time and his vantage point on the field, that Gronkowski caught the football.

"I just want to clarify something: One thing that's made clear to the head coach on the sideline is put your red flag away," O'Brien said. "I hand my red flag to Mike Parson and they tell you that everything in two minute is subject to a booth review. When Gronkowski made the catch upstairs our guys said, "I can't really tell.' It looked like from the field to me that he made the catch. I don't really the benefit of nine different angles, the clock was running down.

"I very much realize that I can take a timeout there. I decided not to because I felt from my vantage point that it was a catch and that's what I went with. They didn't buzz down in time. I do realize I can take a timeout. I just didn't make that very clear. I didn't answer that question very well last night. For that, I want to clarify that that was my decision."

"Hindsight being 20-20 with the benefit of eight different angles, surely, I would have taken a timeout to see if they would at least buzz down to take a look at the play, but they didn't and I didn't do that," O'Brien said. "That's exactly what happened. We ended up giving up a touchdown at the end of the half. It didn't help our cause."

What constitutes a catch is always subjective.

In the case of Gronkowski, he didn't seem to hold onto the football when he landed.

"He went up, he caught it, he kept both hands underneath it," O'Brien said. "Now, relative to some TV angles and other video angles that I’ve seen, maybe it was questionable. But from the coaches’ vantage point on the coaches’ tape, it looked like a catch to me.

"So, I just felt like that was a catch and the clock was running and I felt like I did not want to take a timeout there. I felt like we could still hold them to a field goal in that situation.”